“Price is the person we’re all watching,” one well-placed Republican told the conservative magazine of the potential fallout from a fiscal cliff deal in which tax rates are raised. “We know he’s frustrated, but we don’t know how much else.”

The speculation came as one conservative advocacy outfit, American Majority Action, endorsed a slate of three, including Price, to replace Reps. Boehner, Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy atop the Republican caucus. (AMA, though, only proposed Price take the number-three post.)

A spokesman for the speaker said he is “not concerned about the speculation,” according to National Journal.